Chef David Thompson, an internationally acclaimed chef, restauranteur and cookbook author, has opened Long Chim - his first venture into casual dining at the Marina Bay Sands. An Australian chef who is known for his culinary expertise in Thai cuisine was recently awarded the #7 pot on San Pellegrino's Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2015 and #13 on World's Best Restaurants 2014 for his restaurant - Nahm in Bangkok.

Recently opened at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, 9 Goubuli is a restaurant that serves northern and southern cuisines such as Tianjin, Shanghainese and even Szechuan cuisines. The word Goubuli (狗不理) literally means "dogs ignore" or "dogs don't pay attention".

I stumbled upon this gem hidden at the basement of the shopping mall when I was meeting a friend. I was attracted by the intriguing restaurant name and interior design. And I am glad that I did try the food as it was a nice place to bring friends and visitors to try authentic Chinese cuisine.

The total damages was SGD184.00 (SGD90 per person).

Shanghainese Wontons in Red Oil Vinegar (红油抄手), priced at SGD6.50, is quintessential to Shanghainese cuisine. I will always order a serving of wonton whenever I am in Chinese restaurant. The wontons were cooked to perfection - the meat was tender and moist and the wonton skin remained chewy (firm to the bite). The sauce was mildly spicy and vinegary which I believe was slightly adapted to the local taste. (Food rating: 4/5)

Shanghainese Cold Noodles in chilli sauce (麻辣水品粉皮), priced at SGD12, was extremely delicious. I liked the texture of the glass noodles, which was firm to the bite. The sauce was spicy that added that extra punch to the noodles dish, making it flavourful and fragrant. This noodles dish was extremely enjoyable - stimulating and invigorating. (Food rating: 4/5)

Steamed Chicken with Szechuan Chilli Sauce(麻辣口水鸡), priced at SGD12, was spicy, cold, invigorating and stimulating - all at the same time. The zesty flavour of the cold succulent chicken breast was so addictive that I kept popping into my mouth. The grated ginger and garlic in vinegary spicy sauce was so refreshing that it had whetted my appetite for the coming entree. (Food rating: 4/5)

In some legends, Goubuli (狗不理) bun was invented by Gouzi (狗子) using half leaven dough, rich flavoured meat and a delicious soupy filling. As his business expanded, Gouzi become too busy to engage in small talks and people started calling him Goubuli (which means dog ignores). Hence the name Goubuli (狗不理) was born.

Goubuli is an iconic stuffed steamed bun from Tianjin China and each Goubuli steamed bun has eighteen wrinkles. It was a pity that I didn't count the wrinkles when I ate the steamed buns. If you happened to dine at Goubuli, do let me know the number of wrinkles on the steamed buns.

Goubuli Buns with vegetable fillings (什素包) priced at SGD1.90 per piece was extraordinary. The moist, yet juicy vegetable fillings were delicious. The rice dough was soft and the texture was different from the local steamed buns in Singapore. Singapore's version of steamed buns were softer and white in colour, whereas the steamed buns from 9 Goubuli was more chewy and off-white in colour. (Food rating: 3.5/5)

Goubuli Buns with Meat Fillings (传统猪肉包) priced at SGD2.20 per piece was the second best steamed buns I had amongst the four. The traditional or original steamed buns were mouthwatering with succulent meat fillings. (Food rating: 4/5)

Goubuli Buns with Wagyu and Vegetables Filling (和牛菜肉包) priced at $3.50 was the most delicious, amongst the four steamed buns. The wagyu beef fillings were flavoursome and tender. The vegetables gave the filling that extra crunch and punch. The chopped beef was tender and juicy. (Food rating: 4/5)

Goubuli Buns with Meat and Vegetable Filling (极品三鲜包) priced at SGD2.60 was palatable. The meat was succulent and the vegetables (carrots and maybe turnips) were crunchy. (Food rating: 3.5/5)

Steamed Xiao Long Baos (天津小笼包) (6pcs), priced at SGD8.50 were very delicious. The skin was thin and yet it could hold the meat and soup in it. Topped the ginger slices, the soup dumplings was appetising with the added zesty flavour. How should you eat the soup dumpling? First you bite a small hole on the dumpling skin to drink the soup. When you are done, you may either dip the dumpling into the vinegar or eat the dumpling with ginger slices. Either way is delicious. (Food rating: 4/5)

Stir-fried egg white and scallop in truffle oil (松露油西施带子) priced at SGD28 was a little disappointment. The first couple of dishes blew our minds away but when it came to this dish, it was merely palatable. I felt that the truffle oil did not taste nice with egg white and scallop. The pungent taste and aromatic fragrance of the truffle oil did not do the egg white and scallops any justice. (Food rating: 2.5/5)

Claypot Braised Lamb with deep-fried bean sticks (支竹羊腩煲) priced at SGD58 was a very interesting dish. The cooking time took longer and it was the last to be served. Though the lamb meat was tender, the taste was strong and gamey. I was not used to the strong gamey taste in the meat and the bean sticks. (Food rating: 2.5/5)

We ordered a plate of Salmon, priced at SGD15, and were delighted that the fish slices were extremely fresh. Each mouthful was heavenly. I was busy eating the salmon that I forgot to take pictures. (Food rating: 4/5)

Surumeika Sugata or BBQ Squid, priced at SGD14, was delicious but was a little overcooked. The squid was a little tough and chewy. I don't think there was any marinade on the squid but the taste was superb. (Food rating: 3/5)

Asparagus with Bacon Yakitori, priced at SGD6, was a little disappointing. The asparagus was thick and fresh but the bacon strip was a little bland. The asparagus would take great with the salted bacon strips grilled till it was a little charred. But this dish lacked that ommph feeling. (Food rating: 2/5)

Tatami Iwashi or Whitebait, priced at SGD6, surprised me. From the menu it looked like a piece of grilled cuttlefish. But when the waitress explained that it was made of white bait fishes grilled together to form a tissue-like paper. There was a very nice fragrance from the tatami (or sheet) as the tiny tissues were grilled till it was golden brown. In local terms, it was like eating anchovies grilled into sheets. (Food rating: 3.5/5)

Eihire or Grilled Stingray Fins, priced at SGD9, really got me dumbstruck. I wonder exactly which part of the stingray were the fins taking out from. Instead of biting the fins (Food rating: 4/5)

Deep-Fried Soft Shell Crab, priced at SGD14, was a little oily. However, the crab was fresh. I hope that they could drain off the excess oil. (Food rating: 3.5/5)

Yakinikujyu or Beef Don, priced at SGD16, was delicious. The rice were chewy and grainy. The beef slices were tender and moist. Eating the pearly white rice with a beef slice was heavenly. I loved it immensely. (Food rating: 2.5/5)

Banana Chocolate, or Banana Tempura, priced at SGD8, was a refreshing way of having dessert. The banana fritters drizzled with chocolate syrup was nice. However, the banana slices in the fritter were bland and the fritters tasted oily as if they were not drain off well. (Food rating: 3/5)

Yuzu Sherbet, priced at SGD3, was refreshing. I love the sourness and sweetness of the Yuzu dessert. (Food rating: 4/5)

Ice Zenzai, priced at SGD8, was refreshing. The mildly sweet red beans and green tea ice cream were an excellent combination. Eating them together was a great balance. The red bean were not mushy too. (Food rating: 3/5)

Strawberry Ice, priced at SGD3, looked very cute and the kids love it. Fresh strawberry stuffed with ice cream was not only innovative but also cute. A balanced combination of sour strawberry with sweet ice cream. (Food rating: 3/5)

Siratama Zenzai, priced at SGD5, was the hot version of Iced Zenzai. Similar to the cold version, you have two mochi balls. With the size of a marble, it was very chewy. Together with the red bean and matcha ice cream, the chewy ball tasted better. (Food rating: 3/5)

Sukiyaki, priced at SGD18, was a Japanese style hot pot. I was furious with myself for not taking the photo before eating. The broth was sweet with vermicelli, beef slices, Chinese lettuce and carrots. The soup was just nice - neither too sweet nor too bland. The vegetables were generous but the beef slices were sparse. You could easily count the slices within 5 seconds. (Food rating: 3/5)

We were back to Jin De Lai Zhong Hua La Mian restaurant (金德来中华拉面) again despite our recent disappointment last month. We believed that the last visit was just a misadventure and this time, the food would be better.

Where can you find affordable and delicious Chicken Bryani in the neighbourhood? Well, I think Shami Banana Leaf Delights is the one. Located in the food court at Northpoint Shopping Centre, Shami Banana Leaf Delights was popular with long queue lines during peak hours. What I loved about this stall was the friendly staff and rich aromatic curry chicken.

Priced at SGD6.50, I ordered myself a Chicken Briyani Rice set with one side dish, Masala Potato with long beans.

I loved the Basmati Rice which were cooked in al dente style. The fragrant spiced rice was an absolute delight. Mixed with the gravy, the rice was divine. I could eat the rice with the gravy alone. The curry was rich in taste and aroma and the chicken was tender and well soaked in the gravy.

The side - Masala potato and long beans were equally great! It was a great combination.

Introduced by a friend, I had dinner at Wild Oats located at Punggol Park. The exact location was actually at the junction of Upper Serangoon Road and Hougang Ave 8. I was surprised that there were a lot of people dining merrily at the cafe, especially during a work week.

The weather in Singapore has been warmer and more humid lately. To cool down, I chose any food that can cool myself such as local cold desserts, froyo (frozen yogurt) and soft serves.

One of my favourites is frozen yogurt. I have tried quite a number of frozen yogurt chains in Singapore such as red mango, llao llao, and now Yami Yogurt. Yami Yogurt is one of the first frozen yogurt outlets in Singapore as far as I could remember since I was little. It was only recently that frozen yogurt was popularised and mushroomed in different parts of the city.

At Yami Yogurt, it have a wide variety of toppings which are categorised as regular and premium. The regular toppings priced at SGD0.95 offered only limited variety such as chocolate chips, colour rice, cereals, etc, whereas the premium toppings priced at SGD1.00 offered fruits, nuts and even dried foods.

It was another hot day and I craved for something cold. Having tried the other frozen yogurt brands in the vicnity, I chose to buy frozen yogurt from Yami Yogurt. It has been a long time since I last bought a cup of yogurt from Yami Yogurt. I ordered myself a medium cup of original yogurt and added only one topping - chocolate chip. The medium or regular cup cost me SGD4.85.

Amongst the frozen yogurt I have eaten, Yami Yogurt was more sour and less sweet in taste. I preferred Red Mango to Yami Yogurt and Llao Llao.

Located near the equator, Singapore has a topical climate that stays hot and humid all year round. In the months of June and July each year, the weather will become hotter and drier. A icy cool drink or dessert will be an excellent choice to quench the thirst.

Originated in Seoul, Milkcow opened its doors in Singapore in January 2015; It has opened four outlets in the garden city. Hand-made from 100% all natural, organic ingredients, the soft serve ice-creamy has become a treat to both kids and adults.

I happened to be at Novena Square one day when I found this soft serve joint. The joint has not only a trendy and contemporary store front; the staff are also young and friendly who are delighted to help you choose. I have eaten the various kinds of soft serve but this is definitely the first of its kind - organic milk. The cheapest in the menu is the Milky Way - the original taste, priced at SGD 4.90.

For my first soft serve, I chose to taste the original way - Milky Way. Milky Way (SGD4.90) is the original organic milk soft serve ice cream. At first look, I thought that it would taste like the vanilla ice cream or the yogurt. But I was wrong. The soft serve had a rich milk taste which was very enjoyable. The rich milk aroma exploded when I put a the soft serve into my mouth. Even after I swallowed the ice creamy, the rich milky aftertaste remained in my mouth. Unknowingly, I was flashing a dulcet smile while having the delicious soft serve. (Food rating: 3.5/5)

After my first experience with Milky Way, I could not forget about Milkcow. At my second visit, I ordered the Milky Cube. Milky Cube (SGD5.90) served organic soft serve ice cream topped with organic natural honey comb. It was very similar to Milky Way but added a simple topping - honey comb. The honey comb was all natural and it was rich in taste. Together with the honey comb, it was a superb combination. It was simple, light and blissful. (Food rating: 3.5/5)

At my recent visit, I decided to order something totally different and chose Snow Drop. Priced at SGD5.90, it is made of organic cotton candy, organic salt and sweet dream toppings. It was a very interesting dessert with three different flavours. The top layer is the organic cotton candy. Though it was soft and fluffy, it was too sweet to my taste. The size of the cotton candy was as big as my face. The next layer seemed to be the organic salt. The soft serve gave me mixed feelings. There was sweetness from the M&Ms (sweet dreams toppings), saltiness from the organic salt and the rich fragrance from the milk. (Food rating: 3/5)

If I were to choose my best flavour, I love the Milky Way best - rich aroma and fragrant.

At the Kovan-Hougang Food Centre and Market, you will find a stall named A1 Kway Chap and Duck Rice. You will be amazed the long line of people queuing for the delicious, mouthwatering noodles mix. You may order either a set meal or ala carte depending on your preference. If you are not into innards, you may order side dishes like duck meat, egg, beancurd, and fish cakes. It is not necessary to order innards for this meal.

Since my last trip to A1, I am glad to have found this stall. The dining experience remained consistently enjoyable. The total amount was less than SGD15.

We ordered a set meal for two, which included the pig's innards, braised egg, fried beancurd and duck meat. The skin was chewy and full of collagen. The innards, particularly the intestines, were very well cleaned and did not leave a smelly and bitter aftertaste. The fried beancurd was soaked in the delicious broth for hours, which its aromatic fragrance had infused the beancurd. The duck meat was surprisingly delicious - tender, fragrant and appetising. The highlight of the entire meal was the chilli sauce mixed with lime juice, which was both spicy and sour, giving the food the extra oomph. (Food rating: 4/5)

The flat broad noodles were firm and chewy in the dark soy broth. The bowl of noodles were then garnished with fried shallots and Chinese coriander. The portion was just nice to accompany the side dishes.

Followers

Translate

About me

Welcome to ijustwantfood.com!! My blogging expedition started when I took a university course in 2008. It was an assignment on how to create buzz through blog. sateyourhunger, the blog's name, featured epicurean feasts in Queens, New York. This blog does not accept any form of advertisement and uploads genuine feedback on the food. All expenses are paid by the blogger myself. So, if you wish to recommend a place, just drop me a liner or two in the comments box.